RISK and Consequences
by katbybee
Summary: Happy Birthday Ginger713! Hope this is what you were looking for! When Cap travels to Las Vegas on his never-ending quest for world domination (remember my story "Secret Indulgences?") he takes Mike along for the ride. The trip has some... unintended... consequences, and the whole crew ends up coming to the rescue! (Includes a guest appearance from another fandom.) Enjoy!
1. A Problem

**Spring, 1976**

 **The Las Vegas Hilton Internationale**

 **Ballroom C**

Mike Stoker had never expected to be in this sort of situation. He looked over at Hank. "Any bright ideas? After all, you got us into this."

Hank Stanley grimaced. "Don't remind me, pal. But I only came for the tourney. How do we always manage to end up stuck with the nutballs?"

Mike chuckled. "Just our luck, I guess. Any idea where he went?"

"Nope, he just ran up on the stage, grabbed for the trophy, and when I didn't let it go, he jumped off the stage and took off."

"Yeah, and then he sets off every fire sprinkler in the whole pace."

The ensuing chaos with people running every direction despite Hank and Mike's efforts to restore order while soaking wet was the "this" Mike was referring to.

As things began to calm down, the hotel's manager came up. "The fire department is on their way to shut down the system. The alarm company has been called as well."

Hank nodded, ever the fire captain, on duty or off. "Good deal. I can fill the incident commander in with what we know whenever he gets a moment. Doesn't look there's any other danger. I think he just wanted to cover his tracks."

The manager nodded and hurried off when one of his staff members called to him. Hank sighed again when he saw the look on Mike's face. He knew it was coming… and with his best friend's next words… it came.

Mike shot Hank a bemused look. "You _could_ have just let the guy have the trophy, y'know."

Hank smirked. "I know. But dammit, that trophy took me three days to earn… ten games! I was not about to let some yay-hoo walk off with it."

Stoker grinned. "I get it. But what if the guy had had a gun you didn't know about or something?"

"I know. I should—hell, I DO know better than to pull a stunt like that. But at the time…"Mike nodded and suddenly dropped his voice into a deep, credible imitation of Hank's silly German accent. "Vorld Domeenation! It gets in zee blood! Und zen makes vun act like und idiot!"

Hank cringed. "Give it up, pal. The accent has to go! Yeah, you're right, I guess the rush from being named RISK Regional Champion and being up on that stage got to my head a little bit."

As it turned out, the local fire department got the situation under control quickly and the rest of the event's activities were switched to a different part of the hotel. The farewell cocktail party planned for that evening to wind up the weekend would go on as scheduled.

 **~51~**

 **That Evening**

 **In the Hotel**

Hank had always hated cocktail parties, so Mike was not surprised that he sidled up to him during the party and suggested they duck out of the final mixer of the gaming event early. He was a little surprised that Cap hadn't brought the trophy with him. He halfway expected it. The other reason he figured the man would want to leave early was that Cap was an avid sports fan and there was a Lakers game on. The Lakers trumped standing around watching a bunch of folks you barely knew get tipsy every time.

Mike decided Cap had the right idea, and they headed upstairs. He was a couple of steps ahead of Cap, so he pulled out his key and opened the door. He stepped in and flipped on the light switch. He barely had time to register the fact that their room was a shambles before he heard a noise coming from the bathroom. He realized someone was in their room and he turned to warn Hank off. Something struck him hard on the back of the head, and bright lights exploded in his skull just before everything went black.

Cap had been right behind Mike but had no time to adjust when Mike had whirled around, a look of confusion on his face. The guy from the ballroom earlier hurtled out of the bathroom and struck Mike on the back of the head with the RISK trophy and then grabbed him by the arm and began dragging him towards the door.

Cap was not about to put up with anybody treating him like that, so he fought back the best he could, but the man had arms like a gorilla and was as strong as hell. He also fought dirty. The man sucker punched Hank and threw him over his shoulder as easily as if he were a child. He ran for the stairwell, making it without being seen. The punch ensured that Cap had no chance of calling out for help, because he was having trouble breathing at the moment.

 **~51~**

 ****Mike woke up staring at the open door. Sideways. From the floor. Okay, there were all sorts of things wrong with that picture. The biggest wrong thing presented itself the moment he tried to move. He groaned when pain shot through his skull and threatened to split it apart. He lifted a hand carefully to the back of his head and was shocked when he felt his hair was sticky with blood. _Not good._

Gingerly, he sat up, trying to gather his scattered thoughts. The hotel room was a complete wreck. Somebody had done a thorough job of tossing it. He reached back again and checked the wound. It was still seeping a little blood, but not too bad. _Might need a few stitches,_ he thought clinically. _Wonder what he beaned me with?_

Shakily he got to his feet, put his mattress back on his bed and sat down. Somehow, that act cleared the fog from his brain. _The stupid RISK trophy. That's what he hit me with!_ And with that realization came another. Panicked, he got to his feet and rapidly searched the room. Where the hell was Cap?

He searched the hotel and found no sign of the captain, or of the stranger from the bathroom, who, he assumed, was the likely assailant and kidnapper. One thing puzzled Mike. The trophy was missing along with Cap, which didn't make any sense. If he had just wanted the trophy, why kidnap the captain? Logic would dictate he just knock Cap out as well, or indeed, instead of Mike and leave. After all, it was highly unlikely that Mike would put up much of a fuss over a trophy that wasn't even his.

Either the guy was nuts, which was a good possibility, or there was some deeper motive involved, something neither of them knew about. And that was a possibility Mike really did not want to think about. For now, he needed to start thinking like a deranged kidnapper.

 **~51~**

 **Downstairs**

 **Heading to the Tunnels**

Mike figured out quickly that the kidnapper had not left the hotel. This was based on the fact that he had been on foot and that there were not many security cameras in the hotel, but the ones they had were all located in the common areas… like the lobby and other public areas. There were a few in some of the employee areas, so he thought perhaps the guy might have known about them. Perhaps he or a relative or friend of his might even have been an employee of the hotel.

Either way, he decided to stick to the non-public areas, and see if he could track the kidnapper down himself. He knew he should probably call Hotel Security, but he was loathe to do that until he had a better handle on exactly what had happened. After all, it was possible that Cap hadn't even realized he had been hurt and gone chasing after the guy on his own just to get the stupid trophy back. He really wouldn't put it past the man.

He headed down to the basement since he had decided to think like the kidnapper. That would be his first choice. He puzzled his way through several utility rooms and a mechanical plant, and finally wound up in the laundry room. There were several employees hard at work, but no one even gave him a second glance as he scouted around the room. He figured that was because he had had the foresight to grab a clipboard and pen from upstairs before he came down. Nobody bothered inspectors. After about ten minutes of wandering around the cavernous laundry facility, he found what he was looking for: a door leading to the tunnel system below the hotel.

Twenty minutes later, Mike found himself surrounded by a maze of pipes and utility tunnels. He was grateful that he always carried a Maglite on his belt. The small light's powerful beam shone brightly as he picked his way carefully along the tunnel. It was completely illogical, since it really wasn't the man's fault exactly, but he was going to kill Cap when he caught up to him. He would never tell anyone this, but he really was not all that fond of the dark, and he absolutely HATED rats! He never let that phobia affect his work of course, but he always had to tamp the revulsion down whenever the occasion called for him to work in a situation where he was around the vile creatures.

He was extremely uncomfortable with heading deeper into the complex tangle of tunnels, but he had to find Hank, and he knew he had to be around somewhere. He doubted they were in any real danger, but he really wanted to find him and just get out of here and go home. He missed Beth. He missed his recliner. And had he mentioned he _really_ didn't like dark, damp, smelly tunnels?

Mike heard a noise coming from the tunnel off to his left. He had no weapon, so he would have to rely on what little judo he could remember from his Army days. He raised his arms into an attack stance and prepared to launch himself at the perceived threat. He barely managed to stop himself when the fact that it was Hank Stanley who came around the corner registered on his brain. Cap, RISK trophy in hand, grinned at him, the judo stance not lost on him. "Nice moves there, Stokes."

Mike glowered at Hank. "Aw, shut up! I see you got the stupid trophy back. And apparently got away from your captor."

"Yeah. I did. The guy took off like a bat outta hell after I got away from him. He was definitely a weirdo." Cap grinned proudly.

Mike looked around at the maze of pipes, shafts and tunnels surrounding them. "Peachy. You got us into this. Now get us out..."

Cap nodded confidently. "No problem. The entrance is back this way."

He turned back down the corridor he had come from, and Mike followed him. They had hiked through a twisting series of tunnels for about a half hour when Mike suddenly stopped. Hank stopped also and looked at his friend. "What is it?"

"I just now realized. I've felt like there was something wrong for a while now, but I wasn't sure what. Now I know what it is. If we're trying to get back upstairs into the hotel, we should be headed up. But this tunnel we're in is on a slight downgrade. We're headed downhill, Cap. Just a little… but it's definite." He turned his Maglite to the side of the tunnel and shone it a ways down in front of them. There was no denying the truth of his statement. They looked at each other in alarm. They had been traveling away from the hotel and were now somewhere under the city of Las Vegas. They really were lost. Under the city. _Peachy._

Mike sighed. "Houston. We have a problem."

 **~TBC~**


	2. The Plot Thickens

**In the Hotel**

 **Later that Afternoon**

The maid who came by to make up the room realized there was something wrong when she saw the door was open. She peeked inside and saw the mess the room was in. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the blood on the floor not far from the door. She left her cart in the hall and hurried to go and find her supervisor. She informed her boss, who then informed the hotel manager, who immediately called Hotel Security. Within the hour, Las Vegas Police were on the scene.

The manager had contacted the RISK Tournament leader and put her in touch with the police, who had gotten the basic information on Hank and Mike. And the police had opened an investigation.

They searched the hotel and found no sign of the the two missing hotel guests. What they hadn't counted on was the fact that the nosy guest across the hall was also a reporter for an out of town television station, who was here covering the convention circuit. The man was facing a deadline, and had nothing of any interest to report —until now. From the sound of it, a kidnapping and assault on two Los Angeles County Fire Department officials? One a Captain and one an Engineer? While off duty at a convention? You couldn't ask for anything more golden than that! He quietly shut his door and hurried to the phone. "Deborah, it's Donnie. get me Phillip right away. I got something that won't wait!"

 **~51~**

 **In Los Angeles**

Emily Stanley was not the sort to panic. True, Hank was late calling, but it was not as if that hadn't happened before. Plenty of times. You did not survive over twenty years as a fireman's wife if you panicked every time your husband was late calling you. Beth Stoker hadn't had quite the same amount of practice, but she was solid, and dependable, much like her husband. She was worried, but not panicky. Emily was grateful for that, and for the fact that her daughters were spending time with friends for the weekend and wouldn't be home until late that night. Beth's boys were visiting their grandparents across town for a few weeks.

The two women sat in Emily's kitchen over a pot of coffee and lemon poppy seed muffins, discussing what their men could have gotten up to that could possibly have caused their delay in calling this morning. So far they had discussed everything from simply forgetting to call before they checked out (possible but unlikely) to a car accident (please, not that) to a massive hostage situation at the convention center (anything but that, please God!) Now, they had sort of run out of steam and were simply sipping their coffee quietly and picking at their muffins.

The television, tuned to the daytime game shows and talk shows was playing in the background. (Emily couldn't abide soap operas.) However, as the afternoon stretched on and they heard nothing, both women grew uneasy. By early evening she had begun to panic despite herself. Beth had made them each cheese sandwiches but neither had been able to eat much.

Emily was just about to try calling Hank's room when a special report banner flashed onto the television screen. Beth had just settled onto the couch and picked up her needlepoint to try to distract herself when she called to Emily, who came in and turned up the volume. The two women stared in horror as service photos of their husbands were flashed onto the screens as the anchor continued his spiel.

"We interrupt this broadcast for a special news bulletin from our affiliate in Las Vegas. Two conventioneers in that city have apparently met with some sort of foul play, though police at this time are being somewhat tight-lipped due to the ongoing investigation. We have learned the identity of the two men, Captain Henry Stanley and Engineer Michael Stoker, both members of Los Angeles County Fire Department, both out of Station 51 in Carson, California. The men were apparently attending a convention in Las Vegas and as you can see, though the room has been blocked off, it is obvious to our cameras that something of a criminal nature has taken place here."

The scene switched from the photos of the two men to a brief shot of their hotel room, which was still in shambles. Fortunately, no blood was visible to the intruding camera.

Despite her fears for Hank, Emily couldn't help but chuckle when a very large Samoan policeman, suddenly blocked the camera's view. His name tag read, _Officer N. Palamo_. Politely but firmly he informed the cameraman and reporter. "You're done here. Leave. Now." The words were spoken in a deep rumble that would have been intimidating had he been singing a children's lullaby.

Emily was not surprised when the screen suddenly went snowy and rapidly switched back to the regular programming. Although she was pretty sure he hadn't, she wouldn't have blamed the young officer if he had throttled the meddlesome reporter. She had heard plenty of stories from Hank about reporters causing trouble at fire scenes.

~51~

In the Hotel

Donnie started to open his mouth to protest and then took a good look at Officer N. Palamo's 6'8" and 300 pounds of pure very muscular irritation. He decided retreat was his best option. Besides, his cameraman had already headed for the elevator. He scowled at the cop to show he wasn't scared and trotted down the hall. Natano Palamo shook his head and sighed as he watched the annoying reporter scamper away. _Sometimes he really hated the mainland._

If there was one thing Donnie despised, it was getting stonewalled by the cops. It happened all the time. Which why Donnie was actually pleased he had gotten as much footage as he had. Enough to get a lead-in on the 11 o'clock anchor spot if he played his cards right. He headed downstairs and collared Steve, his cameraman. They had several paid sources in the hotel to hit up for information. Steve already had two misdemeanor counts on his record, which explained his pansy reaction to the cop upstairs. Donnie had had a few brushes with the law himself, but he never let it bother him. He was determined he was going to get himself an anchor position one day. Or at the very least he was getting out of this hellhole of a city.

 **~51~**

 **In the Tunnels**  
The problem for Cap and Mike was that there were apparently levels to these tunnels. Ladders appeared at various intervals, and it made sense that if you climbed one of them, it would lead you to the surface. Except that it didn't. Most of the ladders were short, and led to other accessways, and other tunnels. Some of those tunnels were filled with large bundles of various sorts of cables. Some were blocked off, and unused. Some were made of brick and circular in nature. None of them looked like they had been used by maintenance workers anytime recently.

The two men eventually reached a hub of sorts. It seemed to be relatively clear of debris and relatively safe. They hadn't run into any tunnel-dwellers, other than a lot of rats, but from here they could keep watch. Mike's head wound was causing him a lot of pain, and he needed to rest. Cap was feeling okay, so he took first watch. He figured Emily would be missing him by tonight, and would call the hotel He also knew the hotel would realize they hadn't checked out, so someone was bound to realize there was something wrong. He just hoped it was sooner rather than later. Because they had no water with them, and that was bad.

Cap knew they had a few security cameras scattered around the hotel. If the cops checked them, there was a chance they might have caught their guy on one of them. Maybe even caught one of them during this whole sorry mess. He had no idea that the wrong kind of camera had picked up on their situation…

 **~51~**

 **In Los Angeles**

Chet Kelly was kicked back watching the game. He hadn't really planned on it, but his date had called at the last minute and had to cancel because she had gotten called into work. Somebody called in sick and she had to cover. Chet was philosophical. He knew the hazards of dating nurses, which was why he didn't do it all that often, but Cindy was pretty, and nice, understood his job with its crazy schedule, and even more important, absolutely did not want a long term or serious relationship. They had decided early on to keep things simple. Three months in and it was working out fine.

The same special news bulletin that had Emily and Beth's attention flashed across his screen. He grabbed the phone and called Marco. "Hey, Marc? You watchin' this?"

When Marco assured him he was, Chet promised to keep in touch. Chet's next call was to John, but he was, predictably, out, probably on a date. He had better luck with Roy, who was also watching the bulletin and was as concerned as the lineman.

"So, we gotta go there, right, Roy?"

Roy wasn't so sure. "I'm not sure what we could do at this point. I mean, they don't really know what's happened, and nobody has said anything official yet. They probably haven't called their wives or Jo would have heard by now. This is just what the reporters are saying."

"But, man, you saw their hotel room! It was a wreck! And the cops are swarming all over the place. No way can that mean anything good!"

Roy nodded on his end of the line. "I know, and I agree. It's just that I think we need more information before we go off half-cocked, that's all. Let me have Jo call Emily. She might appreciate hearing from another woman rather than one of us right now."

Chet stifled a sigh of frustration. "Yeah, that's probably true. Just let me know if you hear anything. I tried Gage, but he's out. Probably with a chick."

Roy laughed. "Yeah probably. Anyway, I will." Roy hung up and filled JoAnne in on what he knew so far. She did exactly what he knew she would. She brewed herself a cup of hot tea, handed him a beer, kissed him, and reached for the phone. _Man he loved his woman!_

A few minutes later, Jo let Roy know that Emily hadn't heard anything yet. That was when Roy's wheels started turning. Maybe the police had some leads, maybe they didn't. Anyway, either way, Chet was right. They needed more information. It was like his days in the Army. "No man left behind." That had been his unit's creed back then, it was his station's creed now, and it was just the way things were. He also realized with a start that of the men on A shift… he was now the senior man, as he had been in the fire service about five years longer than Marco. That meant the next move was up to him.

He called an old friend he knew from back in the day and asked if he could hire him to fly him and three friends to Las Vegas and then bring six passengers back when they were ready should the situation present itself. Big Mike was more than willing. He was a Vietnam vet who owned a small passenger and freight business out of the freight side of LAX. His business had grown over the years and he had hired several pilot friends to work for him. His operation had even expanded to include helicopter tours of some of the more popular landmarks in the area, and when a certain one of his pilots flew these tours, rumor had it things could get very interesting. In any case, Roy assured Big Mike that he would contact him as soon as he knew for sure if they needed to book a plane to Las Vegas.

 **~51~**

 **In the Tunnels**

Cap finally had to wake Mike up to take a turn on watch. He needed to sleep. They both wished they had worn jackets because it was getting cold. They were hungry and thirsty, and Mike was fairly certain he had a concussion after all, because he was now dealing with intermittent bouts of double vision. They were trying to decide on a course of action when they saw multiple shadows moving on the wall of one of the tunnels. They got to their feet and prepared as best they could for a confrontation.

They were shocked when about a dozen figures stepped from the tunnel carrying torches. They were raggedly dressed and silent as they surrounded the two men. The one who seemed to be in charge beckoned to them and pointed down the tunnel the way they had come. They looked like something out of a dystopian novel as they stood staring at the two fireman. Again, the leader pointed silently, his lips curling into a silent snarl.

Cap and Mike stared at each other and realized they had little choice. They raised their hands in surrender and headed down the indicated tunnel, wondering what in the hell they were getting into next.

 **~TBC~**


	3. Underground

**In the Tunnels**

As they hiked, Mike watched their captors carefully, and he was intrigued. They were all adults of varying ages. One thing he noticed was their clothing. Some of them were casually dressed and their clothing was ragged. Most of them wore expensive business style clothing that was equally ragged and grungy. A couple of the women were dressed in threadbare evening gowns, with fancy but broken dancing slippers on their feet. Mike looked over at Cap and knew that he had noticed the clothing and was just as puzzled as he was himself.

Eventually, after following several different tunnels, they came into a large open chamber which was lit all around with torches and was obviously the group's home. All around the room, people had set up rudimentary homes, using pallets, tarps and scraps of plywood to mark off individual living spaces. In another area, several cooking fires were being tended by residents.

Mike estimated there must have been somewhere around a hundred residents. The odd thing was, outside of a couple of infants and one or two toddlers, there was a distinct lack of children in the group. The different residents looked them over, but quickly returned to minding their own business.

Cap turned to the man nearest him. "Who are you people and why have you brought us here?"

A familiar figure stepped from out of the gloom. "We have need of men of your particular abilities."

Cap was startled when he recognized the man who had stolen his trophy. "You!" He lunged towards the man and was promptly restrained by the two men closest to him. The man smiled and chided. "I really wouldn't do that. I would hate to have to damage you or your friend. You see, we have no firemen here, and we have need of your skills. Recently, fires have broken out in some of the tunnels, and if they reach us here, it could jeopardize our homes, and we can't have that."

Mike was confused. He looked around. "For one thing, this whole place is a firetrap. It's just a disaster waiting to happen. One spark in here and you folks don't have a chance. Two firemen can't help you. Only a bulldozer can do that. For another thing, you brought us down here against our will. That's illegal. There is no way in the world you can expect us to help you, even if we wanted to, which we don't. You need to take us back to the laundry room door. Right now." He had hardly even paused for breath during this speech.

Cap stared at his best friend in shock. Never in his life had he ever heard the man string together more than ten words at a time. He looked at their antagonist. "He's absolutely right. You people are making a huge mistake. I don't know who you are, and frankly I don't really care, but my buddy here needs a doctor. We need out of this place."

The other man sighed. "Let me introduce myself. I am Robert Parrish. I generally stay below the surface, as I am a wanted man. But sometimes, the need outweighs the risk, if you will excuse the pun, Captain Stanley." He gave the captain a smarmy smile. "I knew of our need for a fireman. Some of our residents felt that one would not be adequate, and that we might have to continue our search for quite some time. I never expected to be able to kill two birds with one stone so to speak." He turned to Mike. "I do apologize for hitting you with the trophy. Our original plan was only to take Captain Stanley here. You really should not have gotten in the way. Your wound will be attended to, I assure you."

Mike shot him his best _Are you serious?_ glare. He was also not too happy with Cap at the moment, considering his fame on the RISK tournament circuit, and the fact that he had been featured on the advertising posters for the final championship RISK battle that had likely gotten him in trouble. Much had been made of the fact he was a fire captain. His opponent had been a crane operator from New York. The battle had been advertised as "The Crusher vs. the Quencher."

Parrish ignored him and continued. "Well, regardless of your opinions on the matter, you will both help us, because you simply have no choice. You see, we hold all the cards, no pun intended." There was an appreciative, if ironic chuckle from some of the crowd as Parrish continued. "You see, I know for a fact that neither of you have any clue how to get back to the surface. You need one of us to guide you. And that is not going to happen. You could wander forever down here. It's been known to happen." He smiled malevolently. "So, gentlemen, welcome to your new home."

Parrish waved an arm to one side, toward a makeshift hut made of pallets and plywood. Two sleeping bags and a variety of household paraphernalia lay scattered about. The man behind Mike pushed him towards the living space as Parrish did the same to Cap. Parrish quirked an eyebrow at them. "Don't be thinking that making friends with anyone here will help you. It won't. They know what happens to those who disobey."

Mike couldn't help it. This guy just pissed him off. "Oh? What happens?"

Parrish turned bored eyes on the engineer. "I told you I'm a wanted man. I haven't told you what I'm wanted for." He smiled blandly and sauntered away. Several of his followers stationed themselves where they could continue their tasks but keep an eye on the newcomers at the same time.

Mike groaned as he sat down on the sleeping bag. "Just great. We landed ourselves right in the middle of a damned cult!"

They were startled by a low chuckle from behind them. They turned to see a young man watching from the next space over. He looked to be somewhere in his mid-twenties and though his casual clothes were somewhat ragged, he was definitely neater than the others. He smiled, and his smile seemed genuine. He was blond, and his green eyes had a spark of amusement to them. He stood and sauntered over to their space.

"Hi. May I join you?"

His voice was quiet and polite, and he seemed out of place here.

Intrigued, Cap nodded. The young man sat cross-legged on part of Mike's bag. He put out his hand. "Hi, I'm Eric." He kept his voice down, and so did the other two men.

Warily, Mike shook it, as did Cap. Finally, Cap asked the question that had been on his mind ever since they had first seen the shadows on the tunnel wall. "Can you tell me who the heck you people are and just what you're doing down here? Are you some kind of cult or something?"

Eric smiled. "No, we're not a cult. Far from it. Some of us are just dropouts from society because we choose to be. Others are here for more compelling reasons. Some are high-rollers who lost large amounts of money at the tables in Vegas and can't or don't want to face the consequences of their actions. Some are hiding from spouses, some are hiding from loan sharks, some from the mob, some from the law. There are a few, like Parrish who are genuine major criminals. He is a real bad guy, so you need to watch out for him."

Cap and Mike stared at their new acquaintance in amazement. Personally, Mike hoped he would wake up from this crazy dream really soon.

 **~51~**

 **Los Angeles**

Johnny found a strange message from Chet on his answering machine when he got home after his date that night. He was not in the best of moods anyway as the date had not ended very well, and the Phantom leaving cryptic messages about Cap and Mike missing in Vegas didn't make him feel any better. He called Chet and the lineman poured out everything they knew, which was admittedly not all that much. Johnny thanked him and hung up, confused and concerned. He checked the time and seeing that it was after two in the morning, decided he would talk to Roy in the morning unless Roy called him first. After all, he really did not relish waking up Jo or the kids. He was worried about Cap and Mike but figured the best way he could help them would be to get some rest and be ready to go help them if they needed him. With that in mind, he took a shower and hit the sack.

 **~51~**

 **In the Tunnels**

A woman Cap judged to be in her late 30's with dark hair and carrying a leather valise made her way over to them. Eric stood and introduced her. "Gentlemen, this is Jeanette. She's our doctor."

Jeanette smiled shyly and held out her hand to them. They both stood and introduced themselves, although they were still feeling a bit unsure about the whole situation. Jeanette seemed to understand. "I have been asked to check Mr. Stoker here over and render any treatment that may be needed."

Mike's doubts must have been obvious in his expression, because Jeanette was quick to offer, "I really am a medical doctor. I _can_ help you."

Cap turned to Mike and shrugged. "Well, look at it this way, pal. What have you got to lose? You _have_ been hurting and that's a pretty bad gash."

Mike sighed and nodded. "Yeah, that's true." He looked at the woman. "Okay. I guess I'll take you up on your offer. I've also had some double vision off and on."

Jeanette had Mike sit down, and she spoke softly to him as she examined him carefully. She had Cap and Eric hold Mike and Cap's Maglites, so she could do a preliminary examination. He hissed in pain as she gently probed the wound. After all the two had been through, it was in sorry shape. One of the other residents came over and asked her if she wanted him to fire up the generator. She nodded. "Thanks, Tim. We're going to need it." He nodded and hurried away.

"Mr. Stoker, as a firefighter, I doubt you'll be surprised if I tell you that I'm going to need to clean and debride your head wound, as well as stitch it. Now, I do have pain killers, as well as antibiotics. I would imagine your tetanus shot is up to date?"

Mike sighed. "Yeah. And I figured as much. Do what you need to do."

Jeanette nodded. She told him, "Okay, then. Come on over to my office."

Both Mike and Cap looked at her in surprise. She smiled and beckoned to them. They followed her across the room until they got to a door on the other side. She opened the door, and they stepped inside. They were shocked to discover a large, bright doctor's suite, with an examination room and an what looked like an operating theatre at one end.

In metal cabinets, they could see equipment, supplies and drugs of various sorts. Cap turned to Mike. "Well, now, this is more like it."

Mike nodded in relief. "Yeah." He moved to sit on the exam table.

One uncomfortable hour later, Jeanette had finished putting in eleven stitches, bandaged it the wound and given Mike an antibiotic injection. She had been able to numb the area with a topical painkiller, which helped. "I'll check on you in a couple of days. We'll see how it goes. Are you allergic to amoxicillin?"

Mike shook his head. "No, I'm not. I can take it."

Jeanette smiled in relief. "Good, because it's all I have. She walked over to a glass-fronted cupboard, unlocked it, and pulled out a large bottle and poured some tablets into an envelope, which she labeled for him. She replaced the bottle on the shelf. She handed the envelope to Mike. "Take those, two a day.

I can give you some Tylenol for the pain. I can't give you anything stronger because of the concussion."

Both men nodded, having dealt with the issue more times than they cared to remember. Mike smiled tiredly. "Tylenol is fine. I'd appreciate it."

Jeanette nodded and poured a small handful of the pills into another envelope. She handed him the envelope, after marking it as she had the other. She locked the cabinet and ushered them out of the office. Mike thanked her, and Eric escorted them back to their campsite.

They spent some time getting to know their new neighbor. It turned out Eric was not quite as young as he had first appeared. They learned more about him as they shared a meal and he showed him around the encampment. He had served a few years in the Army and then drifted across the country for a year or so after that. Like many other combat veterans, he had trouble fitting what he had witnessed overseas into his daily life, and into what society expected of him. Quite by accident he had come across the group of tunnel dwellers one night when he had been unable to sleep and dropped by the hotel bar, had a few too many and went wandering around where he didn't belong. He met a couple of the dwellers and got to know them. Unlike Mike and Cap, he had decided to stay on his own. He realized that he fit in with the misfit society that made its home below the bright lights and decadence of Sin City in a way he never would have thought possible.

Mike looked at him. "So you're happy down here?"

Eric nodded. "I am."

Mike frowned. "Well, I'm not. Cap and I have families, and we are not going to just sit down here and rot. There really isn't much we can do about any fires in the tunnels. Those need to be addressed by the city on a massive scale. That's the only way to stop them. And it's important that those fires be reported to the city as soon as possible. They aren't going to be stopped any other way. That will spell disaster for you and everyone else down here."

Cap nodded, "Yeah, and potentially, it could cause massive problems for the city as well. There is a lot of infrastructure in these tunnels for a lot of buildings. It could create damage on an incredible scale."

Eric sighed. "I know. I tried to talk to Parrish and the others, but they won't listen. Look, I can't help you get out of here directly because they're watching all the time, but if anyone comes looking for you, I will lead them here or tell them about you, about where you are if I can. I know they were wrong to bring you here by force."

Mike smiled at the other man. "Thanks Eric. We appreciate that." He looked down at the bowl of stew Eric had handed him earlier. "This is good. What is it?"

Eric grinned. "Beef stroganoff. Some of us take turns cooking. Evelyn made that. She's really good."

Cap raised an eyebrow. "How do you guys support yourselves?"

Eric chuckled. "Nothing illegal actually. There are a few legitimate members of our group who have trust funds… they help support us. They don't have families and nothing else to spend their money on."

Cap smirked, "So they became philanthropic dropouts, hmm?"

Eric grinned. "I suppose you could look at it that way. Anyway, you guys just hang out here and try not to draw attention to yourselves. I'll keep my eyes open and try to help if I can. You might as well try to get some sleep if you can." He pointed to the barrel that was against the wall behind them. "There's water over there. I wouldn't wander too much at night. If you have to, um, do your business, you can go to the tunnel over there." He pointed off to the far right. "There's some holes there in some boards over a cavern. It's crude, but it works. It's pretty much co-ed, so if you're shy, just be aware."

Mike scowled at the thought, but both men nodded.

Just as Eric started to turn away, Cap touched him on the sleeve. "I think I can speak for both Mike and I on this. We appreciate you being willing to help us on this one, but Parrish was pretty clear about his threats should anybody try to help us. Why are you willing to risk it?"

Eric's face lit up in an enigmatic smile. "Parrish and the others may not listen to my advice, but they won't lay a finger on me for any reason. Remember I mentioned there are a few members bankrolling this place?"

Both men nodded. Eric tapped his own chest and grinned. "I'm one of their biggest 'dropout philanthropists.'" He chuckled and left them with their mouths hanging open and went back to his own space. Mike and Cap eventually settled in for the night wondering what new surprises awaited them in this twisted wonderland they'd been dropped into.

 **~TBC~**

 **A/N:** "For the record, I am unaware of the existence of any sort of tunnel system under Las Vegas. It is strictly a plot device created by me for the purposes of this story."


	4. Allies

**Los Angeles**

The morning news had an update on the two missing men. Basically, all they said was that no progress had been made in the case and the investigation was continuing. The police had contacted both Emily and Beth, and given them pretty much the same information, though they at least had the courtesy to make sure they heard it before the newscasters broadcast the information.

The detective that contacted them did advise them that they were looking at some security footage that showed they had not left the actual hotel itself, but that that it was unclear exactly what had taken place. Emily took down the detective's number and told him she would be in touch. As the detective broke the connection, Emily twisted her wedding band.

She knew something had happened to Hank, but she also knew without a doubt that he was alive, because the connection they shared was strong and vibrant.

If he was really hurt, as he had been several times before…the time he had fallen through the roof on one of his first assignments with the department… the night he had too much to drink after his father died and she had to go collect him from the bar… the time he was electrocuted on the scene of a car accident at work… oh, yes, she would know.

She would have felt it, just as he had known the few times things had gone wrong for her… the day she had lost their third child to a miscarriage while he was out taking his engineer's test the first time… the day she had collapsed from a heatstroke during that awful heatwave ten years ago… the day she had gotten the letter about her brother… she still didn't know how he had known it, but he had called her… and he had come home and held her for hours because losing your twin brother hurt so damned bad... Absently, she ran her hand over Emile's photo as she stared off into the distance. He looked so handsome in his Marine uniform…

She shook off her memories and picked up the phone, dialing a number as familiar as her own. "Good morning, Jo. Can I talk to Roy?"

 **~51~**

Roy got the ball rolling and within two hours the four men were packed, and Chet had picked up Roy, Johnny and Marco in his van and they headed to the airport. They had agreed that if they should discover any reason that Emily and Beth needed to come to Vegas, Jo would watch Beth's boys if their grandparents needed them to, and Emily's girls, who were old enough, could stay on their own or with friends. They would then catch a flight and meet the others in Las Vegas. On the way over, Chet asked Roy if he knew the owner of the flight service they were headed to.

Roy nodded. "Actually, I do. He and a couple of his pilots are guys I met in 'Nam. Big Mike is a good guy. Solid as they come. I'm not sure who he has flying us today, but you can bet whoever it is will be good. Big Mike doesn't put up with amateurs or hotdogs."

They pulled into the parking lot of "G. I. Bill's Delivery Service" and Big Mike Malone, a stocky, grizzled blond strode quickly from the office to meet them, shaking hands all around. Roy quirked his chin at the sign on the business, which featured a comical caricature of a soldier in full BDUs. " _G. I. Bill's_ , Mike?"

Big Mike grinned. "You like that? My own artwork even! I bought this place on the GI Bill, so I figured, why the hell not?"*

Roy chuckled and turned to watch the other man who barreled out of the office just then, shouting, "Look out fellas!"

The man went rushing by them and suddenly left the ground in a flying tackle and rolled in the dirt, but apparently caught whatever he'd been chasing, though none of them could see it. He stood up and tossed them a loopy grin as he held the object in his arms and seemed to pet it affectionately. "Sorry 'bout that. Gotta go give Billy his flea treatment, an' he don't like it much. Be right back. Come on Billy, you behave now." He stopped for a second and looked at Roy. "Hey Roy, good ta see ya."

And the man turned and marched back into the office without another word, leaving John, Chet and Marco staring at each other and Roy practically laughing out loud. He looked at Big Mike. "Don't tell me. Murdock's our pilot for this trip?'

Mike grinned. "You got it. He's still the best damned pilot there ever was, Roy."

"I believe you."

Chet wasn't buying it for one second. He turned and looked at Roy. "That screwball? I'm surprised somebody even gave him a driver's license let alone a pilot's license."

Big Mike scowled, and started to open his mouth, but Roy beat him to it. He knew very well that part of the problem was that Chet really didn't like to fly. He had been in the Army but had served aboard seagoing transport vessels and worked large equipment. He looked at the junior lineman. "Chet, that man in there can fly literally _anything_. He's a former Air Force Thunderbird. He turned down command of one of their teams, as a matter of fact. He's flown jets, helicopters, airliners, biplanes, hang gliders, and a few things that probably were never meant to fly."

Big Mike took up the tale. "As a matter of fact, he's flown several times injured… including landing a jetliner blind. ** He's kept his cool under combat conditions, and I guarantee you I would trust him with my life any day of the week. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here right now. Neither would Roy and lotta other guys."

Chet frowned, "I get that he's a good pilot but what about the invisible dog bit?"

Roy shrugged. "His gyro spins a little bit off, I'll give you that much. But he went through Hell over in 'Nam. At least two tours—probably three, wounded three times, POW twice. Ran black ops both for the CIA and for the Army as well. But it doesn't affect his piloting ability one little bit. He may act crazy sometimes, but don't let that fool you."

Big Mike nodded in agreement. "Trust me, there is no way I would let him anywhere near my planes or my passengers if I thought he presented a danger to them. He tends to be a bit crazy with his aerobatics sometimes, but not if he knows he has someone on board who genuinely has a hard time with flying."

Murdock came out and they watched as he did a very thorough ground inspection of the plane. It was obvious to all of them that despite his eccentricities, he knew exactly what he was doing. The dark-haired pilot was dressed in khaki pants, a graphic tee-shirt which read "Pilots get the best highs!" a beat-up bomber jacket with a tiger on the back which also read "Da Nang 1970" and an old navy-blue ball cap. _Roy remembered that ball cap from the POW camp. It had damned near gotten the pilot killed when he had broken the camp commandant's hand for trying to take it from him. Roy shuddered at the memory._

They got everyone, and their luggage loaded onto the Beechcraft 200 Super King Air. Roy looked over at Big Mike who was standing on the ground just outside the door. "Where did you get this beauty? I thought I read somewhere that one of these things cost millions of dollars."

Big Mike grinned. "They do. It isn't mine. It's on loan for this mission."

Roy tipped his head. "From who?"

"You'll have to ask your pilot. All I know for sure is, it isn't stolen. At least, I don't _think_ it is. Have a good flight." He chuckled and walked away leaving the group on the plane staring at the pilot, who suddenly broke into an energetic operatic aria as he began his preflight check.

 **~51~**

 **In the Tunnels**

They discovered there was something of a routine in the tunnel encampment. There was a tunnel that had been set up for showers. Fortunately, it was divided into a men's side and a women's side, for which they were very grateful. Once they had cleaned up, some of the residents headed to the kitchen to fix breakfast for the rest of the community. Apparently, there was a rotating schedule, although everyone was expected to clean up after themselves.

Something was bothering Mike. He had been studying the residents while they ate. Breakfast turned out to be apples, cheese and a loaf of French bread which had been brought to them by one of the women. She handed them the bag silently, then returned a few minutes later with two thermoses of coffee and a box of sugar cubes. Milk was apparently not on the menu, so both men were grateful neither one of them took cream.

Mike looked at Cap. "You know, it's strange. The people down here are dressed really raggedly, and they're dirty. The dirt I get. It's kind of hard to keep clean when you live underground. But why, when they have apparently wealthy sponsors, are most of the people dressed in what amounts to rags?"

He continued to study the people nearest them. "They're dressed warmly enough, but… still… you would think, since they have access to plenty of money, they should all have decent clothing. If you look around, even though our camp is pretty makeshift, most of the others are fixed up pretty decently. Everybody has plenty of blankets, and it looks like they don't skimp on whatever they need. Just… the clothes they wear."

Cap was staring at Mike again. Mike looked back at him. "What?"

"You really musta hit your head hard, Stoker."

Mike scowled. "What makes you say that?"

Cap grinned. "Because you've hardly shut up since!"

Mike rolled his eyes, but Cap did sober and nod. "I agree with you. It is strange. Y'know, I wonder if it's to discourage people from trying to go to the surface?"

Mike thought about it. "I'll bet you're right. Which means someone, most likely Parrish is controlling the purse strings for most of the people down here. Did you notice Eric is not as ragged as the others? That's why he looked out of place to me when we first met him."

"So maybe he makes trips to the surface that the others don't. So, does that mean he's not what he seems to be, or is he in league with Parrish, or what?"

Mike frowned. "No, he did say he was here by choice. I think he can come and go as he pleases, so he probably does make more trips than the others. He might be kind of a liaison or a supply person in a way. After all, he isn't hiding from anyone."

Cap nodded. "That makes sense. There's probably several people like him down here, weird as it seems."

They finished breakfast and made a trip to the water barrel. They had discovered a rudimentary kitchen where everyone cleaned their dishes and prepared their food for cooking. It was a friendly place, and even though they were not pleased with their circumstances, they enjoyed getting to know some of the people who gathered there. Cap had to laugh when he overheard Mike giving Evelyn his recipe for spaghetti sauce.

 **~51~**

 **In the Sky**

The members of 51-A discovered that Big Mike had not been kidding. Their pilot had kept up a steady stream of trivia and banter and belted out snippets of opera and rock ballads at odd moments, but he was a superb pilot. The Sky King was a luxurious 7 passenger turboprop aircraft that seemed to be in nearly mint condition. Murdock flew her as if he had been born at her controls… the fact did not escape his passengers.

There was an empty seat where the co-pilot would normally sit, but when Johnny had attempted to call shotgun, Murdock informed him the seat was taken. When the hatch had been sealed and the pilot started the engines and finished his final taxi maneuvers, communicating with the tower the whole time, The seat still empty and Johnny asked him about it. Murdock looked back at the paramedic quizzically. "He's right there man! That's Billy's seat. Better get buckled in folks. We're about to catch air."

Johnny nodded. "Sorry, guess I wasn't paying attention."

The pilot grinned and as he gunned the engines and accelerated down the runway. He let out a loud whoop and they were airborne and on their way to Vegas.

Personally, Marco though Chet handled takeoff pretty well… he only turned three or four shades of green which eased up once they reached cruising altitude and Murdock told them they could take off their seatbelts.

The four friends were seated around two tables, as there was one seat on each side of the aisle, facing each other, with two more seats behind each of the pilot's seats. A final seat backed up to the starboard bulkhead facing the port hatch. There was plenty of room for Cap and Mike when they brought them home.

They took advantage of the ice chest Murdock had supplied them with. It contained water and soda as well as juice. Interestingly, there was no alcohol. He also had a case of Beer-nuts, smoked almonds and a variety of deli sandwiches and small bags of chips. He apologized for the lack of candy or cookies but said he had been running late on the way to the airport. When Chet pointed out that he had had time to give Billy a flea treatment before the flight, Murdock stared at him as if he were a half-wit. "Billy hates fleas. Why would I give him fleas?" He shook his head in pity and turned back to the controls, and scratched Billy's ears, mumbling under his breath, something about fleas and poor silly Chet. The man in question looked as if he might consider looking around for a parachute.

Chet's natural curiosity took over after a while and he started peppering the pilot with questions. Once he discovered the plane had a price tag of somewhere between six and seven million dollars, he wondered who owned it. Murdock grinned. "If I told you that, muchacho, I'd hafta shoot ya."

Chet stared at him for a moment. Though the pilot was smiling, somehow, Chet could sense he wasn't necessarily kidding. "You carry a gun?"

Murdock shrugged, and his eyes glinted as he patted the breast of his bomber jacket. "Sure. Don't you?" The plane hit a bit of turbulence and the pilot turned his full attention back to the controls, ignoring his passengers for the moment.

Chet exchanged looks with his shift-mates and kept quiet after that. They all remembered what Big Mike had told them about Murdock and his black ops work. Obviously there really was a lot more to the man than met the eye. Johnny produced a deck of cards and they played poker and hashed out strategies for finding their friends until they landed in Las Vegas.

 **~51~**

 **In the Tunnels**

Mike had been right when he figured that Eric was free to come and go pretty much as he pleased. He was not afraid of Robert Parrish. In fact, he knew Parrish was actually a little afraid of _him_. Parrish knew very well that he could take him down if he felt so inclined. But he really had nothing against Parrish. He had never hurt him, or anyone he cared about. He didn't doubt the man had committed murder, but then, so had Eric. Oh, maybe the government had sanctioned it, ordered it even, but that didn't make it anything other than what it was. And so, he had no beef against Parrish, except when it came to holding people with families on the surface against their will. Like the two newcomers. That was just plain wrong. And Eric was done with what was wrong.

He followed his normal routine when heading for the surface. Today, he needed a few supplies. For one thing, he was determined to pick up some more medical supplies. Jeanette was out of antibiotic ointment and large bandages. Also, she needed epi-pens. After what she had done for Mike, stitching his head, she really wanted really wanted a medical staple gun and staples. He would put in a request with his supplier. Painkillers were getting hard to find, but he paid whatever it took. Jeremy and Seth, the twin toddlers were outgrowing their shoes, and so needed more. Unlike the adults, the babies and toddlers were well dressed and supplied with everything they needed at all times.

They had even found a way to take them to play in the sunshine in a secluded park at least twice a week, and once, Eric had persuaded Parrish to let him and their parents take them to the zoo. The three couples with children had been childless when they met and paired off down here a few years ago. They had the children and things were different now. Eric knew the couples wanted to leave, and he was trying to figure a way to help them. So far, Parrish was refusing to let them leave because he was afraid that they would betray the rest of the community.

Eric continued on his route, arranging for various deliveries of goods to the drop point, a warehouse, where they would be picked up after dark by trusted members of the society. Eventually, he was tired and hungry, and he decided to take a break. He grabbed a burger and a coke from a fast food stand and faded into the background amid the crowds. He sat on a retaining wall near a hotel and ate, enjoying being out in the daylight, though he hated the noise and the confusion. It was all overwhelming to him. He finished his food and stood, trying to decide on his next move.

Eric knew he needed to start watching for anyone looking for the newcomers. Fortunately, he had an ace in the hole on that one. He would head back to the hotel soon and go and see the one person he could trust in the world. He knew she would never betray him, and he knew she understood his reasons for staying underground. She loved him dearly and would never force him to be something he wasn't. He would go and visit his wife.

 **~51~**

 **The Hotel**

Serena was lying back on one of the chaise lounges on her balcony soaking up a little of the mid-morning sun, trying to decide which outfit she should wear to work tonight when she heard the key in the door. She sprang up, knowing what it meant. She pulled her shirt back on and heard her next-door neighbor groan. She hollered over at him "Quit peeking through the cracks in the boards you old pervert! Don't you have anything better to do, Stan?" A rheumy chuckle was her only reply. She shook her head and smiled in spite of herself. After all, she _was_ a stripper, and it wasn't like he hadn't _paid_ to see her topless before. The idea of a freebie just amused the hell out of the old man. **

She ran to the door and into Eric's arms as he swung her around. She barely managed to tell him how much she had missed him before he was kissing her and carrying her to the bed.

A little while later they spent some time just relaxing and enjoying being together. It wasn't something they got to do very often. They had met in the bar when he had first come to Las Vegas and hit it off. Eventually, after dating for a few months, they decided to get married. Unfortunately, neither of them realized that Eric's experiences in combat overseas would have a very nasty effect on their relationship. He was not a prude but had never really been intimate with anyone since he got back. Serena, though she was a stripper by trade, was at heart, an old-fashioned girl. She had wanted to wait till they were married to sleep together, which they did. All went well until about two hours after they fell asleep and then the nightmare began, and Eric struck out at the body next to him, knocking her out of bed.

She woke up with a cry, and when he finally came to himself, and realized what he had done, and how he could have really hurt her, he refused to sleep in the same room with her. He could not explain what had caused the nightmares, would never do that to her either. But he still loved her, and she him. They were entirely faithful to each other. He stayed with her during the day but slept in another room in the hotel at night. Eventually, as his symptoms worsened, and he met two people who lived underground, with Serena's reluctant blessing, he moved below.

Now, as he lay next to her, he told her about the newcomers, and how they were being held. He asked her to keep an eye out for anyone looking for them. He knew she had lots of friends who worked all over the hotel, and that she was his best bet for information. She promised she would find out all she could, and then they just basked in each other's company a while longer. He spent a couple of hours with her, and she fell asleep in his arms. He left while she was sleeping. She woke up alone, as she had known she would.

 **~TBC~**

 **A/Ns:** ***** I freely admit that I stole that bit of dialogue straight from one of my own published WIPs, "A-Team: Snapshots." Mike is an ongoing character in that story, and I could not come up with a better way to introduce him in this one. The difference is that in this one to avoid confusion, I am calling him "Big Mike."

In this story, Murdock is working as one of his pilots. In the other story, Murdock… well… you just have to read it. And of course, Murdock is a visiting character from the series, "A-Team", which was created by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo, not me. The reference to Roy and Murdock knowing each other from 'Nam is from my story "Three Ring Circus." My stories are often non-canon and sometimes cross-overs or AU.

** This is a reference to the incident in which Murdock suffers powder burns and is blinded in the A-Team episode "The Beast from the Belly of a Boeing," Season 1 Episode 13.

 ******* The cameo by the old man is in tribute to the great Stan Lee, whom we lost this last week. He was famous for his cameos, and one of my writer's groups suggested we give him one last cameo in our stories if we could. I thought he'd get a kick out of that one.

R I P Stan Lee **.**


	5. Rescue?

**At the Hotel**

 **The Lucky Nugget Lounge ***

The 51-A crew, along with Murdock, who had decided to tag along with them, since he seemed to know the area and have connections everywhere on the planet, checked into the Hilton after a rather hair-raising trip from the airport. Murdock had offered to drive a couple of times, but the cabbie didn't seem particularly amused.

Once they got checked into their rooms, they agreed to meet in the downstairs lounge in an hour. The group scattered to find their rooms and settle in a bit.

Serena had kept her promise as well as she could, keeping her eyes and ears open. But watching for newcomers in a hotel was pretty ridiculous, and she knew that Eric understood that. She did her best though. She stopped into the bar where her friend Sophie worked. It was a ritual before she went on for the night. The two had come to Vegas together, and had been friends since high school. Sophie looked up from behind the bar and immediately poured her standard Grizzled Gator, which was Sophie's version of a Flashback-Fruit Punch Gatorade and Ginger Ale, minus the vodka.*

Sophie grinned at her friend. "So, you saw Eric today, huh?

Serena blushed a little. "Yeah, I did. How can you tell?"

"Because you look happy, that's why. You always look happier after he's been with you. Now, drink your drink."

Serena took an appreciative sip. "Oohhh, that's good. Listen, I need your help. Actually, Eric does."

Sophie tipped her head. "Anything for Captain America."

"Don't call him that, Sophie." Serena scowled.

"I'm sorry. I just think he should try to talk to someone at the VA. Maybe a shrink or something. Hiding underground instead of living with your wife like a normal guy just doesn't make sense to me."

The two girls were intent on their conversation and paid no attention to the patron sitting alone at the end of the bar nursing a beer. Sophie had served him a draft just before Serena had walked in. He had tipped his ball cap to her but said nothing. She figured from his bomber jacket he was likely a veteran who had lost at the tables and probably wanted to be left alone to nurse his wounds. She knew the type and would oblige him. He had dropped a few dollars on the bar, and she took them and promptly forgot all about him.

Murdock had been the first one in the bar. He had nothing to unpack, since he hadn't brought much with him, and he never unpacked his backpack anyway. He had simply tossed it on his bed and headed back downstairs. They had gotten double rooms, and since he was the odd man out, he was sharing his room with Billy. That was fine with him, since he'd done it for years at the VA. More recently, he was living in his own apartment, because Big Mike had pointed out that he could have gotten in trouble for hiring him as a pilot for G. I. Bill's if the FAA got wind that he was a current resident in a nuthatch. They both figured that Murdock still had contacts at the CIA if the FAA caused too much grief over his past residency.

As was his custom, he had scoped out the bar completely when he sat down. He had incredibly sharp hearing and knew within a few minutes the business of everyone in the place. Most of it was boring and he tuned it out within a few seconds. He sat and sipped his beer. The girl behind the bar was pretty, but not his type. She was young, flighty, and shallow. Probably had come to Vegas to become a star and wound up tending bar. He felt a little sorry for her. He shrugged a bit… _she could have ended up in a lot worse places._

The blonde that bounced into the bar a few minutes later caught his attention. She seemed to radiate energy and he liked her immediately. He could also tell she was taken, just by the way she acted. There was something about a woman in love… an aura about them. He'd seen it plenty of times, and it always made him smile a little and think of Kelly. _He still missed her._ He shook the thought away and his ears perked up when he heard the phrase "talk to someone at the VA." He glanced at the girls, and the next word he caught sent him hurrying out of the bar and straight back up to their rooms. Because there was no way that phrase and "underground" could have been a coincidence.

Murdock ran into the others just coming out of the elevator. He gestured excitedly, and they could barely keep up with him as he hurried back towards the bar. "Come on you guys! I think I found somebody who can help us!"

He turned the corner just in time to see the blonde stepping out of the bar. He shouted, "Hey, you, wait! Don't move! We need to talk to you!"

Serena took one look at the man who had shouted at her and turned and ran. Murdock frowned and took off at top speed after her. The others looked at each other in confusion and followed him. If she had any information about Cap and Mike, they needed to talk to her. Sophie ran out into the middle of the lobby, watching them disappear after her friend. She turned a full circle, too shocked to speak for a moment. She then hollered "Security, help! Security!"

Eric had once shown Serena the entrance to the tunnels down in the laundry room. She had no doubt that these men chasing her were the ones he had been talking about. She also had no idea what to do at the moment. So, she decided she needed to find Eric. And the only way she knew to do that was to go to where she knew he would be. And that was down in the tunnels. She was angry that the man in the ball cap had put her in the position. She was wearing high heels and could not run well in them, so she pulled them off, and pitched them back at the man. She had been a star pitcher on her high school team and she managed to bean him directly in the forehead, but it didn't slow him down much. He just caught the shoes, shoved them in his pocket and sped up even faster.

 **~51~**

 **In the Tunnel**

Cap and Mike, along with Parrish, Eric and several of the other residents, checked out the fires in the tunnels. There were two that were of immediate concern and signs that two more were smoldering in another part of one tunnel. Cap turned to Parrish after the tour and his eyes were deadly serious. "Look, I am telling you the truth. If you get a steady source of water down here… not just that barrel set up, you can put out more than just a cookfire. We can train your people how to deal with some basic emergencies. But you cannot cope with those fires. You cannot put them out, Parrish. Mike and I cannot do it."

Mike nodded his agreement. "Those fires have gotten too deep a hold. There is too much

fuel for them to feed on. Right now, they are burning slowly. But as they gather strength, they will burn faster and hotter. The only hope to put them out that I can see is to flood them with foam. And that takes several things you don't have access to here."

Cap smiled slightly when Mike stopped talking abruptly and dangled the bait in front of Parrish.

Robert Parrish was many things. Stupid was not one of them. "What things?"

Mike ticked off the points on his fingers as he spoke. "Specialized heavy equipment we don't have; Trained manpower to use that equipment; clear access to the fires themselves; and the most important in your cases, evacuated tunnels."

Parrish frowned. "What do you mean by "evacuated?"

Mike sighed. "Look, I get that this place is your little refuge. I really do understand that you guys are hiding out from society for a lot of different reasons, but you can't do that anymore. Those fires are going to reach you here. Likely sooner than later. They _will_ burn you out. You will have to go back to the surface. You have to face that fact. The only way to put those fires out is to flood them with foam. And there cannot be any people down here when they do it."

Parrish glowered at Mike. " _No_. There has to be another way. We are _not_ leaving."

Cap glared right back. "Don't be a stubborn jackass! Mike is the best engineer in the Los Angeles County Fire Department! If he says this is the only way, then you can bet it's the only way!"

Parrish opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say was cut off when Tim came running up to the group. "Boss, we got trouble. A bunch of outsiders just came running in through the hotel entrance!" He glanced over at Eric. "She must know you, because she's screaming your name, dude."

There was no way Cap and Mike were going to be left behind and at this point, it didn't seem there was much point. The group took off at a run, and headed for the the intruders making their way through the upper levels of the tunnels. Unfortunately for the new group, there was not much light, so they ended up having to slow down.

Murdock caught up to Serena first and finally managed to convince her they were only looking for their friends. She agreed to take them to Eric, providing she could find him. Fortunately, it wasn't long before Eric found them.

 **~51~**

 **Outside the Hotel**

The story of the missing firefighters had grown into a genuine news story, and there were now several reporters and news vans out in the hotel parking lot, along with several police cars and even a fire department vehicle. A liaison from the Las Vegas Fire Department was onsite, since two brother department members were missing in their town. Add to that a number of curious bystanders, and the parking lot was becoming a bit of a circus. And television cameras were capturing it all.

 **~51~**

 **Los Angeles**

B. A. Baracus was irritated. This was the second time today that a newsbreak had interrupted the game. The first one had been over some dumb political scandal. This one had better be for something important. Face had taken advantage of the first one to go and call his latest girlfriend. Hannibal ignored it, patiently waiting for the game to come back on. When the station's banner flashed onto the screen a second time, B. A. nearly threw the remote at the screen.

A young woman holding a microphone stood in the parking lot of a hotel. Behind her was a hotel tower, and around her a police presence and a lot of general chaos.

"There have been further developments in the unfolding drama at the Hilton Hotel Internationale in Las Vegas. It has come to our attention that another group of travelers has recently disappeared somewhere inside the hotel, apparently while attempting a rescue of the two missing Los Angeles County firefighters, Captain Henry Stanley and Engineer Michael Stoker, both stationed out of Station 51 in Carson, California. It appears that the newcomers are mostly station-mates of theirs. As we understand it, they include Firefighter Marco Lopez, Firefighter Chester Kelly, Firefighter/Paramedic Roy DeSoto, and Firefighter/Paramedic John Gage. All of these men apparently work on the same shift as Captain Stanley and Engineer Stoker.

There is, we understand, one more man with the group. He is the exception in that he is not a member of the fire department. He apparently is a private pilot working for a charter service and flew the group over from LAX yesterday. His name is Captain H. M. Murdock. He is currently listed as a military veteran employed by G. I. Bill's Charter Service. No other information is available. It is unknown at this time if Captain Murdock has any other ties to any of the men of Station 51. We will continue to follow this story and bring you updates as they become available. Melissa Stuart. KNLT4 News."

As the game came back on, Face, Hannibal and B. A. stared at each other in disbelief. Slowly, Hannibal leaned back in his chair. He looked at Face. "Did you know he was planning to fly to Las Vegas with these guys?"

Face shook his head. "I haven't heard from him for a few days."

Hannibal nodded. "Musta been a last-minute job. He usually calls when he's going out of state. Okay, well, keep your ears open. If he needs us, be ready to go wheels up."

B. A. growled. "Flyin' Hannibal?"

"Unless you want one of us to throw you as far as Vegas, and I don't see that happening, Sergeant. Besides, it'll be commercial this time."

B. A. huffed but knew better than to argue, and they got back to watching the game.

 **~51~**

 **In the Tunnels**

The two groups faced each other in roughly the same location where Mike had run into Cap a couple of days before. Quickly, Cap stepped in between the groups, to keep anything unfortunate from happening. Roy did the same. He had not forgotten that at least one member of their group was armed. For his part, Murdock had gone into a defensive posture, his hand hovering near his gun pocket, but not drawing his pistol. He immediately identified Parrish as the main threat and kept his eyes glued to him, but made no move otherwise.

Cap was happy to see his friends. There was a stranger with them, who looked military somehow. He identified the man's posture for what it was. He'd bet money the man had a gun and was considering pulling it on Parrish. Cap addressed his friends. "It's okay. We're fine, guys." He was relieved when the man in the bomber jacket relaxed slightly and eased his hand back towards his side. It made him feel only marginally better when he dropped his hand down into his pocket.

Roy was the first one to speak. "So, what's going on, Cap? What are you doing down here?"

Parrish looked at the newcomers and smiled. He turned to look at Cap. "Well, perhaps you will introduce me to your friends?"

Cap glowered at him but did as Parrish asked and introduced the Station 51 crew. He knew it would be pointless to lie about who they were. When he got to the stranger, the man spoke up for himself. " My name is Captain H. M. Murdock. I flew these guys here."

Parrish raised an eyebrow. "A pilot? Well, that _is_ interesting. Your skills might come in handy at some point. But for now, I think we have all the manpower we need to put out those fires, Captain Stanley."

Cap could see the protest on the faces of all the men and he shook his head slightly. Parrish ordered them to follow him to the encampment and they sullenly followed Eric and Serena, who was vehemently protesting being there at all. Only the fact that they trusted that Cap had a plan kept them from bolting outright.

Mike and Cap led them to their shelter. Eric tossed five more sleeping bags over their way and told Cap to fill the men in on the routine. Johnny rounded on Eric. "You're dreamin' if you think we're just gonna sit here an' let you people get away with this!"

Sharply, Cap spoke. "John, stand down! Lay your bag out and sit down. It'll be okay. We'll get out of here."

Johnny huffed angrily but did as he was told. He muttered, "How the hell could this happen? What? I mean are we prisoners here or what?"

"Not exactly John. It's complicated."

And as if to prove Cap's words, they were served a dinner of some sort of mutton stew and bread. They were treated respectfully, much as Mike and Cap had been during most of their stay.

Cap looked at the rest of them. "I really want to help these people." Mike nodded his agreement and the two of them proceeded to fill them in on what they had learned about the community and their situation over the last couple of days. They talked about the fires and what needed to happen to put them out, and how the people would no longer be able to stay below.

Finally, Murdock spoke up. "Well, it seems to me that if these people want to continue to live apart from society, and they aren't breaking any laws… and aren't criminals… not that guy Parrish, or anybody like him-but the rest of them, well, you said they have folks among them that have money. Well, then, what you do is find someplace suitable… someplace they like. You know a ranch or farm or someplace way out in the middle of nowhere, and move them there, and set them up their society there. Same thing they have now, only safer and maybe cleaner and better. And no fires… and sunshine for those little kids."

Cap and Mike stared at the pilot in amazement. He had solved a problem that had been plaguing them for several days in a matter of less than ten minutes.

Roy smiled at their expressions. He patted Murdock on the shoulder. He looked over at Cap. "When you get to know him better, you'll realize he does stuff like that all the time."

Cap grinned and nodded. "That's great, and it's an excellent idea!"

Mike nodded. "It is a great idea, but there's just one problem."

Cap frowned. "What's that?"

"Getting Parrish and the others to agree to it."

 **~TBC~**

 *** A/N:** A Flashback is a real cocktail. It may not have been around back in '76, but I claim it was! And, don't be surprised if you order a Grizzled Gator and nobody knows what you're talking about. I made that up too! I made up the name of the bar, just so you know. I couldn't find any names of bars that were around in that hotel at the time… just the big entertainment showrooms… and that didn't serve my purposes.


	6. Help on the Way

A/N: I need to apologize for such a long break between postings. I have been having internet problems, which have accounted for part of the difficulties, but the main issue has been my health. I have recently been diagnosed with diabetes and renal failure. I am adjusting to medications and am doing better now but it has been a bit rocky over the last couple of weeks. Anyway, I had thought I had this story complete, and then Murdock came in and changed the whole ending on me (he likes to do that to me, as he and I tend to have similar personalities…) Be that as it may, Ginger713 and I have kept in touch, and she has been extremely gracious and understanding. Without further ado, please enjoy another chapter in our adventure! I anticipate perhaps one more chapter and an epilogue—unless Murdock or one of the others surprises me… ?

 **~51~**

 **In the Tunnel**

Murdock sat on his sleeping bag stroking Billy. "I think i know a way to do that too, but it involves Billy here."

The others looked at him quizzically. Finally, Cap asked, "How can Billy help us?"

Murdock smiled. "Well, he's pretty good at getting behind enemy lines. Always has been. An' he's fast an' he doesn't get tired. I can send him to Faceman an' tell him we need him to scare up some land for these people. If anybody can do it, Face can. Or at the very least, I can tell him you guys wanna hire the team to come rescue us."

Mike frowned for a moment, trying to process what the pilot was saying. The name "Faceman" had jogged a memory of something he had read somewhere. "Wait a minute. Isn't that guy a mercenary or something? Part of a team wanted by the government?"

Murdock scowled. "Yeah, but he is also my best friend. He and the other guys were framed. They're innocent. I guarantee it. I was there. I know. In fact, if your buddies had hired the A-Team to come find you in the first place, we wouldn't be in this mess.

"Now I figure I'll just send Billy off to talk to Face, and they should be here in a day or so, easy. Might take day to get ready and go wheels up is all."

John looked at Murdock. "You mean they would have to rent a plane, like we did." The prospect of sending Billy on a recon mission did not seem to faze the paramedic in the slightest.

Murdock shook his head. "Hell, no. Billy can use my plane and either he or Big Mike can fly the team back. I taught him to fly years ago."

Johnny nodded. "That makes sense."

The others in the group looked at each other with varying degrees of incredulity except for Roy who simply stifled a chuckle and nodded sagely. He knew better than to question Murdock about Billy's abilities.

The pilot leaned over to the invisible Jack Russell in his lap and carried on an urgent but muffled conversation, as he stroked the dog's ears and back. Apparently, Billy was amenable to the plan, because a few minutes later, Murdock stood and carried him to the edge of the room and placed him on the ground. His voice was soft, but urgent. "Okay, boy! You know what to do! Hurry up! Take care of yourself. And be careful with my plane! It's not paid for yet, you know!"

He came back to the others, grinning, oblivious to the looks of doubt most of them were casting his way. "Better start making plans for what you want for dinner when we get out of here."

Chet smirked. "Pretty confident, aren't you?"

Murdock turned serious, dark eyes on the lineman. "Yeah, I am. Billy has never ever failed me. Not once."

And the look on his face silenced even the Phantom.

 **~51~**

 **Los Angeles**

 **A Few Hours Later**

Face was antsy. For some reason, he couldn't get Murdock off his mind. Anytime that happened it meant something. Usually trouble. He sought out the others. "Guys, I really think we need to go to Vegas and find out what's going on."

Hannibal looked up at him. "Have you heard from him?"

"No, not exactly. I can't explain it, but I just get the feeling he's in trouble."

B. A, looked up from the small engine parts scattered across the table in front of him. "What, he send that fool dog lookin' for you again?" He giggled at his own joke, but Face wasn't laughing. He stared at B. A. one eyebrow raised.

"Sort of. I did get to thinking about Billy a while ago, actually. And I really do think we need to go to that hotel in Vegas."

Hannibal stood up. "Well, fellas, then I guess we go wheels up. I already put Big Mike on alert, and he has a plane waiting. He told me he'd fly us over himself. Let's go."

B. A. gave a pained groan but made no other protest after Hannibal shot him a stink-eye as they were grabbing their duffel bags and locking up the beach house. Within the hour they were airborne and on their way to Vegas. Fortunately, Hannibal had the foresight to bring along enough sedative that the trip was a breeze as far as B. A. was concerned.

 **~51~**

 **Los Angeles**

Emily had no idea what to think. She hadn't heard from Cap, and now Jo had called to tell her that she hadn't heard from Roy since he and the others had left for Vegas. The update had proven that they had made it to the hotel, but then, they too had disappeared! Chet's girlfriend, Cindy, Beth Stoker, Mama Lopez and Jo had all turned Emily's living room into their unofficial headquarters. Various other friends and family members rotated in and out depending on the time of day. Marco's cousin Antonio Sanchez, a patrolman with the Los Angeles Police Department's Rampart Division tried to find out anything he could for them, but there wasn't much information available.

So, the ladies did what they did best. They provided each with moral support and waited together, keeping an eye on the occasional updates. There had been no more phone calls, so they were figuring that no news was good news. Emily figured privately that Hank was probably still okay. At least he would be until she got him back home. And then she was going to kill him.

Emily had been curled into her recliner with a cup of tea and a book, when she noticed the wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen. She looked around and noticed both Mama Lopez and Beth were missing. She smiled and padded in to see what was cooking. Beth was standing at the center island, chopping vegetables for a salad. Mama was layering a pan of lasagne noodles on the stove with an incredible meat mixture and a heavenly-looking cheese blend. There was a pan of garlic bread covered in plastic wrap on the counter next to the stove. There was also a pot of chili simmering on a back burner of the stove.

Emily smiled at her two friends as they turned and looked at her. "I think I've died and gone to heaven! That all looks marvelous!"

Mama chuckled. "This is a meal I make always for my Marco when he is worried about his friends. It is warm and filling. Good food speaks of comfort and pleasant memories."

Beth nodded. "That's why Mike likes to make bread on his days off. His mother taught him to bake when he was a kid. They moved around a lot when his dad was in the Army. They were stationed at different bases all over the world. One way his mom anchored the family was by teaching her kids to bake. He really is a great cook."

Emily chuckled. "I know Hank raves about his spaghetti all the time. He's tried to duplicate the recipe, but never can get it quite right."

Beth smiled. "That's probably because he has a secret ingredient he never shares with anyone. Not even me."

Emily raised her eyebrow. "No? Wow! Anyway, It _is_ really good. Maybe someday someone will finagle it out of him."

Beth smirked. "That'll be the day." She finished tossing the salad, covered the bowl and placed it in the refrigerator. "Okay, Mama. What's next?"

"Well, I was thinking we should have something chocolate for dessert? Do you have any ideas?"

Emily's eyes lit up at that suggestion. "I can handle that one. We don't have anybody with any dietary restrictions, do we?"

Beth paused, thinking about it. "I don't think so, but I don't know Chet's girlfriend very well. I'll ask everyone just to be sure. Be right back."

She stepped into the living room. "Hey, does anybody have any food allergies, like nuts or chocolate or anything? Emily's planning to make dessert and just wanted to double-check."

Cindy shook her head, as did the others. Reassured, Beth headed back to the kitchen. "Looks like we're a go, Em. What do you have in mind?"

Emily smiled. "Brownies, of course! What else!"

The other two ladies grinned. _Perfect!_

~51~In the Air

Big Mike contemplated his unique situation. It was a very good thing he was on good terms with the FAA. And the BBB and the CIA and a few other alphabet soup agencies he could name. Because he might just have a hard time explaining the fact he was flying three wanted felons and a couple of duffel bags crammed with guns and ammunitions across state lines.

The trip was mercifully uneventful, and they made it in record time. Mike dropped them off and let the team know he would be available to pick them up whenever they were ready to return to Los Angeles. He did caution them about trying to bring their rather unique luggage through the airport security. As a precaution, he had contacted a friend before they left L. A. and arranged a ride to the Hilton.

 **~AT~**

One of the parts of their plan was that they were not going to simply walk into whatever trap had been laid for the others. Obviously, that was what had happened to the others. And so, rather than making their entrance through the front door, they had Mike's buddy drop them off behind the hotel. They stashed their gear in a handy abandoned shed closed to their objective covered with an old tarp. And they loaded themselves for bear. Discreetly of course. Well, as discreet as B. A. ever got. Which simply mean one AR-15 instead of two.

Face picked the lock on a maintenance door, and as they figured, the door was not alarmed. It was an common oversight on many public buildings, because this particular door was set right next to a loading dock that looked as if it was mostly used at night. Templeton had reasoned that it would have been a pain to alarm both the main dock door and the smaller maintenance door, because the alarm going off anytime somebody stepped through it would be annoying as hell.

Once inside, they carefully made their way through the pallets and piles of goods and supplies stacked everywhere. Most of them were in neat rows, some stacked out of sight, probably reaching nearly to the ceiling. The effect reminded Face of a spooky funhouse maze he had been trapped in as a kid when the orphans had been taken to a carnival. He would never admit it to anyone, but he hated funhouses to this day. He kept his eyes glued firmly on Hannibal's back, and was glad that B. A. was right behind him. He knew the big man would never let anything happen to him. Still, this place gave him the creeps, and he was grateful when they finally reached the door on the other end of the room.

Hannibal beckoned to the other two, and they huddled into the corner next to the door. He whispered, "Okay, here's how we're gonna play it. I think we should work our way in and see where this place leads. We have no clue what we're facing. We should be prepared to split up if necessary. You guys know the drill. No lethal force unless absolutely necessary. We find our guys and meet back here. Keep your eyes peeled. Coms check." He put his hand on his belt, as did the others, and lifted his walkie talkie. They spoke into them, keeping the volume very low and adjusting the squelch to minimize feedback. Once the colonel was satisfied, he opened the door, and they made their way into the unknown.

 **~TBC~**


	7. Let's Make a Deal

**A/N:** Please forgive me for the length of time between updates. I have been battling both computer and human viruses. Well, at least internet problems and bronchitis anyway... But much better now... and finally was able to finish this chapter... and yes... we are very close to the end! Thanks for your patience Ginger713! Hugs to all and enjoy! More soon, I promise!

 **~51~**

 **In the Tunnels**

Perhaps because of their experience as commandos. it did not take Hannibal, Face and B. A. long to figure their way through the underground tunnel system. It may have also had something to do with the fact that as a kid, Hannibal had spent a lot of time exploring the old subway system under Philadelphia...

Either way, they made short work of both the tunnels and the sentries they found along the way. It actually pleased Hannibal they found the sentries, because it meant they were getting close to finding their friends. They didn't really hurt any of the people they found, just put them out of the game temporarily. As they got closer to their objective, they finally kept the last one conscious and compelled him to guide them last few hundred yards until they were able to get a look at the layout of the camp itself. It didn't take long to spot their friends and get a general feel for the situation.

Using hand signals only, Hannibal dispatched the other two to separate positions, ready to infiltrate or attack depending on how the situation played out over the next few minutes. Hannibal knew Face would be ready to take out any threat if he needed to and that the kid would not miss, but he fervently hoped it would not come to that. He used his field glasses to get a good bead on the layout and position of their objective. He studied Murdock for a couple of minutes. The pilot seemed relaxed, but watchful. He was keeping his eye on the sentries positioned on the wall at their six. One of the men in the group appeared to have a head injury that could pose a problem, but none of the others had any apparent injuries, other than some cuts and bruises.

Hannibal took a deep breath. Some of the sentries were armed, but he had no doubt they could handle them easily. No time like the present. He signaled to his men, who he knew had been doing assessments of their own and would be ready to move in. They descended on the camp, moving as one man. The sentries were startled and offered little resistance, though they were not strictly outnumbered. Being on the business end of a semi-automatic rifle in the hands of a trained sniper can do that to someone. Especially when that sniper had a deadly serious smile on his face and a cold fire in his eye. None of the sentries really wanted to challenge Templeton Peck at that particular moment.

Hannibal noticed movement from the corner of his eye and glanced over to see Murdock had stood and was holding his service revolver on a newcomer to the group. He glanced at Face. "You got this, Lieutenant?"

"10-4, Colonel." Templeton's voice was flat and deadly. Hannibal had no doubt the kid would do anything he needed to, and he was fairly certain the targets knew it too. He nodded and turned to join his pilot.

He looked closely at Murdock. "You alright, Captain?"

Never taking his eyes off his target, Murdock grinned. "'Course I am, Colonel! You know me. Glad to see Billy found you guys so quick, though. He ain't never let me down yet." He gestured with the pistol. "This guy here is Robert Parrish. He's the leader of this group. Figured I better ride herd on him in case he got any bright ideas and took offense to you droppin' in."

Hannibal smiled. "Appreciate the consideration, Captain." He looked at Parrish. "You're holding friends of mine prisoner. I don't like that. I don't like bullies, and I don't really think I like this whole set up."

Parrish smirked. "Like what you think matters to me?"

Murdock chuckled. "Wrong answer, bud. _Way_ wrong answer."

Hannibal swore he heard B. A. crack up, but he must have been imagining things, because the big man's expression never changed, and he never moved a muscle.

Murdock sobered. "Actually, what he thinks should matter to you." He addressed the leader without lowering his pistol so much as an inch.

Parrish stared at the pilot. "Alright. I'll bite. Why should I care?"

"Because these guys can solve your problem."

Parrish smirked. "It looks to me as if all they're prepared to do is blow our heads off."

Hannibal shook his head. "Only if you give us no choice. All we want is our people, unharmed. Beyond that, I have no interest in what you do down here."

Murdock slanted his eyes over towards Hannibal. "Actually, Colonel, I'd like to talk to you about that."

Hannibal frowned. "About what, Captain?"

"Well. I have a plan... but I need your help, and Face's to make it work. And we all need to sit down and talk it out. These people need help and I think that we can help them and it's really kind of complicated but uh, this is probably not the best place to uh... sit and uh, you know... ah..." Although Murdock's hands were rock-steady, he had begun to lose track of his words. The vocal pauses were a sure sign of stress, and Hannibal realized it, but was not going to betray the fact in front of Parrish. He calmly looked at Murdock. "Okay. We sit down and listen to your plan." He turned and fixed his gaze on Parrish. "That meet with your approval, Parrish? We all sit down and have a friendly chat, listen to what the good captain has to say? Or would you prefer we simply shoot you and get it over with?"

Parrish grimaced. "Since you put it that way, I suppose I don't have a lot of choice. I will listen, but I make no guarantees."

Hannibal nodded. "Fair enough, as long as you realize our people ARE walking out of here. Today."

Parrish said nothing, but he made no protest either. Hannibal took that as agreement, and the group moved towards their anxious friends at the far side of the room.

Roy made introductions of the newcomers, while Murdock kept a sharp eye on Parrish. The pilot had lowered his weapon, but he was ready to use it if he had to. That was nothing compared to Face. He was still on the razor's edge. This man had threatened his friend, and Face was not a man who forgave easily. Finally, a modicum of trust was established, and the group settled down to talk. Parrish kept himself apart from the discussion at first, his body language radiating his distrust of the whole situation. B. A. stayed completely away from the group, preferring to stay in the background. He kept his rifle in his lap, seemingly at ease, but anyone who knew him knew he could be battle ready in less than two seconds.

Parrish eyed Murdock. "You said you could help us with our problem. What exactly did you mean by that?"

Murdock shrugged. "How would you like to live someplace where nobody will bother you and yet you could pretty much live like you do now? You wouldn't have to wheel and deal for your supplies. You could order them and have them delivered like you do now, but it would all be legitimate. Your people would be safe. Best of all, the property would be above ground, isolated, and you would have the title free and clear."

Parrish shook his head. "There's gotta be a catch. Nothing is ever free. So, what's the deal? Where is this hellhole?"

Murdock smiled gently, his eyes sad. "It's not a hellhole, believe me. It's twenty acres in Texas... a ranch in some of the most beautiful country God ever made. The guy who owns the land would sign the title over permanently to the Settlement on one condition."

Even Hannibal and Face were staring at Murdock by this point. There had been no discussion of specifics of a place for these people to go, and so they were confused.

Parrish snorted. "Yeah, what's that?"

"That anyone with an outstanding criminal warrant gets it cleared up before coming out to live on the property."

The leader scowled. "That would mean prison for some of us!"

Murdock nodded. "Yeah, but not forever. Not for _most_ of you. And a good leader is willing to sacrifice to take care of his people." The pilot was staring deep into the other man's eyes, and none of the others missed the emphasis Murdock had placed on the word "most." They knew he was talking about Parrish himself, because if he agreed to Murdock's terms, he would spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Parrish narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin. "How do you know the owner would agree to those terms, anyway?"

Murdock smiled faintly, knowing what he was about to say would come as a shock to his team. He had never once said anything about his home in Texas. He really didn't like thinking about his father... though he missed his grandmother.

"I guarantee he will. I own the ranch." He also owned the entire valley the ranch was located in as well as some other property, but he saw no need to open that particular can of worms with his team. Face was not the only one with shadows in his background.

Murdock ignored the shocked looks of his team. He looked Parrish in the eye. "Look at it this way. You know we are all walking out of here today. That is a simple fact. Those fires _will_ destroy this place. Another fact. My team and I are offering you a way out." He shrugged. "Take it or leave it."

He leaned back and sighed. He glanced over at Hannibal who threw him a hard look. If there was one thing the Colonel hated, it was secrets. Murdock understood, because the team operated on an assumption of absolute trust. And now he had broken that trust. He also knew Hannibal would leave it alone for now. They had a mission to complete.

Hank Stanley spoke up then. "Look, I'm glad you guys are here. Parrish, I don't care what deal you work out. But I am telling you we have had it. Mike needs a doctor, and I am going to see he gets one. And so help me, if I have to go through you and the rest of your clowns, so be it."

Johnny grinned and practically rubbed his hands together in glee. He glanced over at Chet and he could tell the lineman was thinking the same thing. _Finally! They were getting out of here!_

 **~TBC~**


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue:** And so my friends, we come to the end or our journey. I hope you had as much fun as I did…I hope you enjoyed your birthday gift, my dear Ginger713!

 **Two Months Later**

In the end, Robert Parrish made the only decision he really could. He surrendered to authorities and was taken into custody. Several of the other members of the Settlement did likewise. And the rest? Well, under the leadership of their newly elected leader Eric and his wife Serena, the group moved out of the tunnels and down to the ranch in Texas. Some of the people opted to move elsewhere and start over... start lives of their own, lives free of the Settlement, but most stayed.

As for the tunnels themselves, what Cap and Mike had told Parrish was exactly what eventually came about. The old sewer system was used to pump foam into the fire areas, and the fires were put out by the capable Las Vegas Fire Department. though the chambers where the Settle had made their homes were indeed destroyed in the process.

As for the men of Station 51, the media made a bit of a hoopla about their adventure and they had to endure some teasing from their colleagues for a few days, but it died out fairly quickly. Cap did get his picture in the fire department newsletters leisure and hobbies column, holding his precious RISK trophy. As for Murdock and his team? Well, they made their way from Las Vegas back to Los Angeles, and none of their new firefighter friends were inclined to say a word about their participation in the adventure at all.

Murdock sat down with Hannibal and explained about the property in Texas. He had inherited it from his grandfather, which was something his father had never forgiven him for. He had never gotten along with his father, and he had left home at age fifteen. The inheritance had come through while he was in Vietnam. He hadn't known how to handle the fact that his father had fought him over it until the day he died, trying to prove his son was unfit to receive the land and money.

Murdock had looked seriously at his commanding officer. "I never understood why my grandfather withheld the inheritance from my father. That was not my fault. But my father hated me for it. I got the letter about my grandfather's death, and all the legal stuff my father kept pulling while I was in country. Most of it was before we were captured. He tried to have me declared dead after we were thrown into the Hilton." Murdock's chocolate eyes were large and sad. All Hannibal could do was do what he did for any of his boys. He listened. He was there.

Finally, Murdock wound down and the pilot begged the colonel not to give the details to anyone else, and though the story left Hannibal incredibly sad and in shock, he agreed. He figured the pilot has his right to privacy, and he respected it. Besides, it wasn't long before the wily colonel got wind that a gang of extortionists were shaking down an old folk's home in Fresno... and well, it really seemed they needed the A-Team...

 **~The End~**


End file.
